342 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



They are pretty well for disconsolate Virgins, pretty chearfull, 

 and pretty good-humour'd. They allways think of You & 

 Selborne with Pleasure. 



I am to attend our Bishop at Waltham, if I can, on Wednes- 

 day & Thursday : the last I shall beg off, nor shall I stay 

 Dinner on Wednesday if I can help it. I am off of all public 

 Meetings, being on such Occasions stupid, deaf, & dumb. But I 

 shall shew my Duty by paying my Money, q : e : d. 



We have read Mrs C. Smith's Book, but not Capn Wilson's 

 Voyage, in which I suspect some Eomance. Is it not so ? 



My Son Wm who belongs to ye Hyaena, only as Master's 

 Mate, is at Plymouth, waiting to have the Ship copper- bolted ; 

 which will eat up Time & Cash. But he is better there than 

 here ; for he sees & does Something in his own Way. 



Farewell. I would write longer, but my head will not let me. 

 My Hay & my Rye is just beginning to be cut together. 

 I am, Dear Gil, Your's ever & afftely, 



J. Mulso. 



Letter 225. 



Reverend Mr White, Meonstoke, 



at Selborne near Alton, Hants. + at Alton. Oct : 26, 1788. 



Dear Gil : 



Instead of being at Church & taking care of my Flock, 

 I am sitting down to write to you. The first I am unable to do, 

 but as I can do the other, & give some Account of myself before 

 I have done. But I must speak first to ye Affair that You 

 mention of Thomas Westbrook. I sincerely pity every Man who 

 stands in Need of Tenderness from Parish Officers, because 

 it is a Temperature that they are seldom bless'd with in their 

 Composition ; but at the same Time it must be allowed that being 

 Guardians of others Property as well as their own, they must be 

 aware of too much Lenity & Profuseness. As to this Parish, 

 Thomas Westbrook knows it well, & so does his Father before 

 him, who is a very worthy & industrious Man, but whose Mis- 

 fortunes have obliged him at times to call for Help, & he did not 

 find it easy in Church Wardens &ca to melt their Hearts to 

 Drachmas. We have not any Donations from whence to draw 

 Help ; & what is necessarily raised, is raised from Men very much 

 loaded & very poor : we have not above two or three moderately 

 warm Men in the Parish. The Claims upon Us here are very 

 numerous ; and They who suffer within our View absorb all that 

 we can afford in the charitable Way. I have sent up to the 

 Officers to beg them to take the Case of Thos Westbrook into 

 Consideration, & endeavour'd to shew it as a Benefit to them- 



